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Ideas for Chemistry Paper Topic

By Lane Cummings

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Simply put, chemistry is the study of matter and its composition and the examination of how it interacts with other matter to answer difficult questions and work out daunting problems. When it comes to writing a paper for a chemistry class, the task need not seem daunting. Your first objective should be to have a topic that is both interesting and original.

Effects of Acid Rain

An interesting and interactive paper to write would be on the effects of acid rain. You would conduct your own research in conjunction with using research by professional chemists who have had their results published. You could compare your findings with their findings. You would collect rain water, test it for acidity and monitor the effects of acid rain on humans, soil and the environment. You could even supplement your research with photographic evidence of the effect of acid rain on houses, lawn sculptures, trees and buildings.

Soft Drink Comparison

A project that compares soft drinks has a relevant appeal because soft drinks are so popular in popular culture. With this paper, you would again want to conduct your own research, comparing the pH levels of various soft drinks, both natural and artificial. You could expand your paper by researching some or all of the added chemicals in these drinks, determined their function in the drink, whether they were truly necessary and whether they have any malignant health effects on human health.

History of Penicillin

The discovery of penicillin has such a rich and layered history with so many scientists involved in its research that it would be easy to write a paper that examines a new angle of it, more original than a rote, historical background. Your thesis could argue that one scientist more than others was pivotal for the discovery and use of penicillin. Alternatively, you could research peak moments in U.S. history when penicillin was most used and compare those with world events going on at the same time.

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About the Author

Lane Cummings is originally from New York City. She attended the High School of Performing Arts in dance before receiving her Bachelor of Arts in literature and her Master of Arts in Russian literature at the University of Chicago. She has lived in St. Petersburg, Russia, where she lectured and studied Russian. She began writing professionally in 2004 for the "St. Petersburg Times."